Move
by MissMuffin42
Summary: Response to xkissfromarosex's challenge. What if it was Claudine who came into Britannia High without having to audition?What if Jez had dyslexia? What if Lauren had fallen in love,BB's father had wanted him to leave school? What if things were different?
1. Claudine

It was the night before the end of year show. I lay in bed, thinking of Lauren and her multipule schlerosis. I remembered her saying her results from the hospital were coming tomorrow.

What if she _did _have MS?

I suddenly felt lucky that it was her, not me. I wandered what I'd do in Lauren's position? Carry on performing? Risk everything for what I was?

I laughed at the idea that we were all each other. BB had been so critical of Jez for lying to us at the time, but what if it had been him whose dad wanted so much for him. Would sensible, mature Lauren have dealt with the Stefan situation differently to Lola? Would Jez have suffered in silence if he had dyslexia, would Danny have coped as well as BB if _his _brother was shot?

I often wonder, "what if..."

* * *

I walked up slowly to the huge building in front of me. It stared at me through it's glassy walls, welcoming, though impatient and full of hope and expectations. It scared me, but I loved every inch of it already.

Britannia High was already bustling with people, old students coming back and new ones, like me, come here to change their lives.

I wondered if anyone out there could be even half as petrified as I was right now.

I caught sight of my reflection in the huge glass doors and ran a hand through my hair, flattening it. I'd recently had it cut from a shoulder length style to a bob. I wasn't sure if this was the right move to make, but this small change was a step in introducing myself to the new me, to how things were going to be now.

New Forest had never been enough for me. I'd sang in clubs, at parties, entered and won local talent shows and turned town an invitation for the lead in an Abba tribute band. But I was never really going anywhere. Here, in London, the life I would spend the next two years preparing myself for was light years away from home. It was scary and exciting and terrifying.

I knew I was going to love it.

Unlike every other student in my intake I hadn't had to audition for Britannia High. When Mr Nugent, the headmaster, had seen me singing at a wedding, he'd offered me a place at his school, one of the top performing arts schools in the country.

Maybe I should be scared that this would stop me fitting in? Why should it?

I had everything the other students at Britannia High had. I could sing, dance and act. The fact that I'd been spotted and handpicked for my talent set me apart from them, made me better if anything.

I didn't want to have to use this remark; I didn't want to seem over confident or vain. I knew it wouldn't exactly help me make friends; it was too… too much.

But I could tell it to myself lots, and lots of times. And it made me feel a bit better.


	2. Chapter 2

I followed a sign to registration and slowly exhaled as I saw the long queue of students stretching out from the front desk, all waiting to register.

Oh dear.

I joined the line, already prepared for a good half hour's queuing. Suddenly a body in the crowd nudged past me, and the huge folder I was carrying slipped through my arms. I bent down to pick it up, noticing a polished dance shoe had stopped in front of me. It seemed to smile at me gingerly and I almost smiled back, it was so strangely captivating before I realised that it was, in fact, a shoe.

My eyes slid upwards, past a pair of skinny jeans, scarlet checked shirt, a pale neck to lock with a pair of lacy blue eyes that smiled at me from under a straightened blonde fringe.

I noticed the folder he was holding towards me. _My _folder. I was a little annoyed he'd got it first. That may well just have been my first step of independence in this new, scary part of my life.

I murmured a "Thanks," and took the folder, smiling at him.

"I'm Jez," he said, reaching out an unnaturally formal hand. I took it, a little gingerly then let go, smiling.

"Hi, I'm Claudine."

I felt my cheeks flush pink, realising he was staring down at me. I slowly stood up and released a giggle, which came out a little two hysterically.

I blushed again.

"Have you registered yet?" I asked, finally thinking of something to say that had no way of sounding stupid.

"Yeah, I came earlier to avoid that," Jez replied, gesturing towards the queue of people, which seemed to have grown even more.

Oh. So maybe it could have turned out to sound stupid.

"Yeah, I wish I'd done the same," I laughed.

"Do you want me to queue with you?"

"No, its fine, you don't have to. I could be some time," I said, forcing a half-smile, half-laugh that failed at both its jobs and probably came out as some kind of awkward grimace.

I felt my cheeks flush scarlet.

"Ok, I guess I'll see you later Claudine."  
Jez grinned and turned around. I tried to return his wave, failing to copy his calm cheerfulness.

I ran a worried hand through my hair, proceeding to join the long, snaking queue from the registration desk. I falsely hoped I hadn't made too much a fool of myself, though I sort of knew I had. It wasn't a very good first impression to make on my potential new classmate for the next… well, two years. I was sort of dreading the next time I saw Jez.

No. I _tried _to dread it. I tried to worry about myself.

But somehow, I couldn't.

I really, really wanted to see him again.

* * *

**_Hi!_**

**_Sorry it's been such a long time since I updated. This would've been a lot longer, but I've decided to update with short chapters regularly instead of leaving it for weeks, which is never good. =( So yeah, the next one should be up in a few days._**

**_Miss Muffin x_**


	3. Chapter 3

I don't remember enough about my first day at Britannia High to explain anything in details. I spent most of my time with Jez, who was in all my classes, and friends he seemed to make effortlessly throughout the day. They seemed to be my friends to, but they were more there because of Jez, we all were.

The six of us ate lunch together and I got to know each of them. There was Danny, from Manchester, though lived in London now with his brother, someone I found myself straight away flirting with almost without realising it.

BB was quieter, which I almost found annoying, a little unnerving, even. And Lola, who I was instantly jealous of, who had a general aura of perfection, except for her personality. She and BB seemed to be exact opposites, whilst I watched him sit and listen to everyone else, barely speaking, Lola chattered away freely as if none of us were there, her thoughts channelling straight through her mouth.

I decided I liked Lauren, who came from Brighton and had lived in America. I felt a stab of jealousy when I heard her sing, up until then I'd secretly felt like I was the best in our class. But I liked her as a person, despite my envy over her voice, over the parts of her I found similar to me.

For the first few days at Britannia High I sailed through classes, and I was happy. For the first time in my life I was with people like me, singers and dancers and actors, people that wanted to perform. My only problem was dance lessons, where I found myself struggling. Unlike most of my class, I'd never had proper dance lessons and I knew that our teacher, Stefan was noticing it. I spent most nights a week staying after school to practice on my own. Often Lauren, Jez, Lola, BB or Danny would stay with me to help, but usually I'd lie. I didn't want them to see me red faced and stressed as I argued with myself, determined I could nail the routine we were working on. My body would never quite move the way I wanted it to, with the same grace I tried to mirror as I watched Lola and Lauren. I'd watch myself in the mirrors in the dance studio and hate myself, hate my body and the clumsiness of my movement and almost want to quit Britannia High. But then there were other times, when I was singing in the recording studio and the rest of the class applauded me as I finished, I knew I was flying.

A few weeks into the first term at Britannia High, Stefan announced that our first showcase was coming up. I knew about it from the school calendar and general conversation, but this confirmation brought it too close. And I wasn't ready.

The rest of the class picked up the routine we were taught scarily fast and although Jez, my dance partner was understanding, although I felt embarrassed at how much better than me he was, at how much better they all were.

I stopped eating much, for fear of the fear every time I slipped on my tight black leotard before dance classes. I never slept for worry.

And I knew it was natural to worry. But I also knew that I, unlike the others, had reason to.

* * *

**Hey. =)**

**Sorry it's been so long since I last updated but I can't seem to get into this one... I'll try and write more soon but I'm also doing my Hustle one, so yeah. I know currently it seems very similar to the TV show at the moment, but it's complicated and it should change in later chapters. Hear her excuses. xD Thanks for reading, leave a review preedy please. =)**

**_Miss Muffin_**


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